JVG's Challenge

I really don't understand your point XIKI. Are you saying that Les/CD are intentionally not making moves in order to prove that JVG is a better coach than Rudy or to prove that Les was right with his "greatest team ever assembled" and that it was Rudy fault that the team didn't live up to his expectations???

 

Someone please tell me who said "big splash" and when. I don't believe anyone in the Rocket org. ever said it.

 

Actually codell, I have to say I see where xiki is coming from. I thought all along that Les making that statement was him basically saying to Rudy, "this team is good enough, are you?"

And he wasn't.

If they are able to succeed with this team that Rudy was resposible for putting together, and he is able to get something out of EG, play less of Mobley, get the ball moving and keep Ming more involved while not changing any of the core player would be a HUGE statement!

It was CD and it came just before the draft.

 

All this time, I thought we were not making any major moves so that the new coaching staff could eventually evaluate the players under a new system in game situations.

How could I not see that Les/CD so obviously want to...what's the word you used....STICK IT to Rudy?

Come on xiki. I'm as dissapointed as the next person with the lack of major personnel changes, but let's be realistic here.

 

Just for the record, the Rockets record with Rudy T as head coach was good enough for the playoffs. In my mind, he achieved the goal of making the playoffs.

 

No, that seems outlandish. Why would Les want to say 'up yours' to Rudy; their relationship has always seemed respectful, even with the firing. Why would he want to try to embarrass Rudy, especially when he still works for the organization and was not embarrassed in any other way?

Why would Les want to see what VG can do with a less-than-maximized roster? Isn't winning much more important than any such challenge? Why take a chance on VG failing that test? What if he ended with a worse record than Rudy, proving they made a mistake of getting riddy of Ruddy in the first place?

Likewise, even if Les' pride tends to wanting to prove something with 'the greatest team ever assembled', aren't the stakes high enough that improving the roster would trump that consideration? Afterall, new arena, new unis, new logo, new coach, etc.: wouldn't he want to milk that for everything it's worth, complementing that wave with some good basketball to enlarge the fan base and sell more tickets instead of frittering it away on some petty VG is better than Rudy challenge?

And given that the 'big splash' quote comes from what Les himself said he was hoping to accomplish, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume he (and the Rockets collectively) have been trying to accomplish just that but, for whatever reason, could not (yet)?

 

Its funny that you metioned this, because every time I see someone say "big splash", I have a hard time recalling anyone from the Rockets saying this.

That being said, I just did a search on chron.com from March 1 to Sept 1, 2003 with the criteria being, "houston rockets big splash".
The only articles that came back where mostly written by Feigen with HIM using the term big splash and not Les (i.e. he says in more than one article that Les has a history of making a big splash in the offseason). However, nowhere in any of the Chronicle articles during that time period does it containt a quote from CD or Les about making a "big splash" this offseason. Furthermore, the times that Feigen did mention "splash" or "big splash" were in relation to the coaching hire.

Now, that being said, this is all from the chron.com archives (search engine is VERY reliable). Perhaps there is another media source that has Les or CD on record as saying that he wants to make a big splash this specific offseason.

In the end, I am pretty confident that the "big splash" reference was taken out of one of Feigen's articles and not from Les or CD. Over time, people on here have just automatically started attributing it to Les/CD.

EDIT/UPDATE: I just did a search on google and Rockets.com and found no direct quotes from Les or CD about making a "big splash". Again, several writers used the term, and it was mainly in reference to our coaching hire.

Interesting though, the article that Clutch wrote about Griffin possibly being on the block came up and Clutch used the term "big splash" also.

Perhaps, CLUTCH or JEFF can chime in and do a search on the BBS and dig up the original source of the "big splash" comment or can tell us for sure if CD and/or Les are actually the one that made the comment or it was just from a Feigen article.

 

'Succeeding' this year doesn't mean you were good enough last year.

 

OK, codell, I couldn't a quote about the big splash, but I do think Les or someone in the Rockets front office said it. Perhaps it was paraphrased. But, there have been too many media references to the Rockets' big splash to not be based on something.

I did find one thing that comes kinda close. David Alridge reportedly said that Les said he wanted to make a big splash. Here's the thread:

http://bbs.clutchcity.net/php3/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59869

And the post:

 

All the Rockets need are for Steve and Yao to improve their overall game. Yao needs to work on holding his position in the paint, and Steve just needs to work helping his teamates.

With JVG, I think both will happen at some point during the season.

 

It is one thing to say that Les is stubborn about his "greatest team." It is another thing to say that he would actually refrain from making obvious roster improvement just to prove his "greatest team" statement. And it is yet another thing to say that he would refrain from improving the roster to prove that Rudy was no good.

I don't think Les is that stupid.

 

Only one I recall ever coining the term "Big Splash" was Clutch on the main page of this website. I don't recall anyone from the front office stating that. JVG always said he was excited about Yao, Steve and Cat. So I know it wasn't from him. CD always has supported what his coach's needs were. So I doubt it was him. And Les was already excited about the team he had last year. So I doubt it was him too. I do remember Clutch saying that it's Les's personality to want to enter the new arena with a "Big Splash", however I don't think thats in Jeff's plans or anyone elses at this time. They have a good team assembled already. If they do any tweaking, and that's likely all they will need, it surely will come during the season.

 

That's what I have always felt, also. That and the fact that most posters here seem to value Cato, Rice, Griffin, Mobley and Norris more than most NBA GM's.

 

What was their playoff record in that time?

When they lost a starter from last season and brought no one in to as good to fill the void? No, you are right. It instead means that this coach has a more difficult hand than Rudy...

...will he get it done? Who knows. If he does, he did a better job of coaching.

The Rockets team last year was not a year together away from the playoffs. They were in need of changes to have a chance. It was either Rudy or players including Francis and/or Mobley to change before this team made the playoffs.

Rudy could not put together a gameplan, and he was not developing any of the talent on this team.

 

That's funny. I always wanted to say something about the 'big splash' comment because I don't recall ever hearing anyone from the organization mentioning it. I even considered starting a thread asking about it a few months ago, but I was afraid I'd get flamed...

 

You are assuming that the players we had would not improve after one more year of experience. With the prevalence of youth on this team, that is clearly a false assumption.

 

And you are assuming a lack of improvement by all other NBA players.

 

Will Van Gundy have a better and more experienced Yao Ming? Yes. Will he have a better and more experienced Steve Francis? Yes. Will he have a better and more experienced Mobley? Yes. How is that a more difficult hand?

You are obviously of the opinion that players reach their peak after their first few years in the league? That's interesting. So Stockton and Malone retiring wouldn't have put the Rockets in the playoffs this year unless they got a new coach?